Introduction to Princess Margaret’s Marriages
Princess Margaret, the younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, was long considered the more glamorous and unconventional sibling to her reserved elder sister, Princess Elizabeth. Her romantic life, especially her relationships with Group Captain Peter Townsend and photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones, captured global attention and reshaped royal protocol. This evergreen explainer outlines both marriages, their historical context, and their lasting influence on the modern monarchy, focusing on verified details and durable context.
Key Marriages at a Glance
| Spouse | Date | Status | Children | Royal Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group Captain Peter Townsend | Engaged 1952; did not marry | Never married | None | Second World War veteran, private secretary to the King; relationship complicated by Townsend’s divorce and Church of England doctrine |
| Antony Armstrong-Jones | 6 May 1960 | Married 1960–1978 (divorced) | 2 children | First commoner to marry an heir-in-line to the throne since 1515; created Earl of Snowdon |
| No subsequent marriage | Post-1978 | Never remarried publicly | N/A | Stepped back from frontline royal duties after divorce |
The Relationship with Group Captain Peter Townsend
Group Captain Peter Townsend was a decorated Royal Air Force pilot and equerry to King George VI, appointed private secretary and Comptroller to Princess Margaret after the war. Their relationship developed in the late 1940s and became public in the early 1950s, coinciding with Townsend’s high-profile divorce. As head of the Church of England at the time, the monarch could not sanction a divorced man’s remarriage if he had a living former wife. This doctrinal hurdle, combined with concerns over Margaret’s position as a working royal and Townsend’s foreign residency considerations, led the couple to end their engagement despite deep affection. Margaret later described the experience as a defining personal wound, but the romance remained unconsummated in marriage.
Key Points: The Townsend Engagement
- Engagement announced in 1952; quietly ended by mutual consent
- Church of England policy on divorce was a decisive factor
- No children from this relationship
- Townsend remained a friend and correspondent; Margaret later granted him a life peerage (Baron Tonypandy) in 1983
Marriage to Antony Armstrong-Jones
On 6 May 1960, Princess Margaret married photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones at Westminster Abbey in a ceremony watched by an estimated 300 million television viewers. Armstrong-Jones, a commoner and working professional, was the first non-royal to marry an heir-in-line to the throne since the 16th century. The Queen created him Earl of Snowdon, pairing the title with the Welsh family name. The marriage initially appeared strong and modern, reflecting the more permissive cultural currents of the early 1960s. Together they had two children: David, Viscount Linley (born 1961), and Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones (born 1964). Over time, their private differences, Margaret’s vulnerability to publicity and health challenges, and prolonged separations contributed to increasing strain.
Marriage Details and Public Impact
- Ceremony: Westminster Abbey, broadcast worldwide
- Equivalent of modern ‘royal influencer’ brand with high media appeal
- Earl of Snowdon title created specifically for the wedding
- Children remain in the public eye through official duties and media engagement
Divorce and Later Life
The couple separated in the mid-1970s and divorced in 1978, making Margaret the first of Queen Elizabeth II’s sister’s to divorce. The decision was framed at the time as mutual and amicable, though it exposed the pressures of royal life and intense media scrutiny. After the divorce, Margaret stepped back from many public engagements, though she remained a member of the royal family and continued to attend major ceremonial events. She never remarried and maintained a smaller but steadier profile within the institution until her death in 2002.
Enduring Legacy and Protocol Changes
Margaret’s romances, particularly the lost Townsend engagement and the high-profile Armstrong-Jones marriage, influenced perceptions of royal happiness and personal choice. The press attention on her relationships helped normalize more open discussion of marital difficulties within the royal family. Subsequent generations of working royals would see more flexible arrangements around marriage and career, though Margaret’s experience also served as a cautionary example of the costs of intense public visibility. Her two very different weddings remain bookends to a life that balanced duty, desire, and the demands of being in the public eye.
FAQ
Reader questions
Did Princess Margaret ever remarry after 1978?
No. Following her divorce from Antony Armstrong-Jones, Princess Margaret did not remarry. She maintained a private personal life and continued royal duties until her health declined.
Why could Margaret not marry Peter Townsend at the time?
The Church of England, at that time under the monarch as Supreme Governor, did not permit remarriage after divorce if a former spouse was alive. Since Townsend’s divorce was recent and he had not converted to Anglicanism, the marriage was blocked on doctrinal grounds.
How did the Armstrong-Jones marriage change royal norms?
It was the first marriage between a royal in the line of succession and a commoner since the 1500s, setting a precedent that would later inform policies leading to more flexible royal marriages.
What are the titles of her children?
Her son is David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon, and her daughter is Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones. Both undertake limited official royal duties.